Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Uniform syllabus move leaves matriculation schools in a fix

R. Krishnamoorthy

They are unable to buy textbooks from private publishers

TIRUCHI: Matriculation schools are in a quandary: They are unable to place orders for textbooks with private publishers following the State Government's move to enforce a uniform syllabus.

With the Directorate of School Education indicating that the uniform syllabus is likely to come into force from the next academic year, the matriculation schools, it appears, will have to procure books under the new pattern from the Tamil Nadu Textbook Society, as government schools do.

Though the matriculation schools unanimously argue that the move is "ill-conceived," they are not desperate, since they believe that the crux of the matter lies in the delivery mechanism, and not in the syllabus.

They cite the instance of students thronging private schools for higher secondary education, though the syllabus is common under all patterns, barring the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE).

"Counter-productive"

Even as the matriculation schools are bracing for the eventuality, the view gaining ground among academics is that against the backdrop of globalisation and a competitive post-school scenario, striking a middle line for enforcing uniformity in syllabus could turn counter-productive.

For, it not only means regression in the form of dilution of syllabus for the matriculation pattern but also will reflect in the enhancement of the existing standard under the State Board pattern. As a result, the number of dropouts, especially in rural areas, will increase manifold. Rural schools are already grappling with the problem, headmasters acknowledge.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Regional office may issue 3 lakh passports this year
Training hard matters most here
Regional office to issue 3 lakh passports this year
Demolition of Babri Masjid condemned
Dumping of construction materials mounts problem
SETC's ultra-deluxe bus service to Bangalore begins
Uniform syllabus move leaves matriculation schools in a fix
Their eyes can still see the world
History-sheeter arrested
AIR special for Rajaji birth anniversary
Around the City
In Tiruchi Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu